Sunday, September 30, 2012

The
continuing story of Ahu and Ahuahu her husband in a Maori village in Aotearoa
before European settlement of New
Zealand. (Missed an episode? Click on Ahu in
the labels bar for previous posts.)

“Do you not like me Tangaroa?” said Horowai
as she helped the strong young man unload his boat and placed the catch of fish
in her basket to take home.

“Of course I like you, you are my sister.”

Horowai squealed with laughter. “You know you
are not my brother. That is why I have chosen you to be my husband.”

Tangaroa looked doubtful. It was true that
Horowai was not his father’s child but was the daughter of Hatiti and her first
husband Kaihutu who had died and who none of the children remembered not even
him. Hatiti was Ahuahu’s second wife so Horowai was his step sister.

“Why would I want a wife that knows me so
well?” he retorted “I should have a wife that I pick out. In any case you are
younger than me. You should not be looking at boys yet, particularly not to marry.”

“But I am now old enough to be married now,
Tangaroa. You know me and have seen me. It is better you marry me who knows
what you like to eat and who likes to have his hair combed by a sister who
isn’t really a sister and who lets me pluck those hairs from your chin just a
wife does.”

“You don’t tell the others that you do that,
do you?”

Again her voice tinkled with laughter, “I am
the only girl you really like in this village, admit it and I have no secrets
from you do I?”

“But I may have secrets from you, Horowai.
What about that girl from Big
River that came all those months ago with her parents, how do you know I didn’t tickle her?”

Horowai suddenly looked sad. “Please say that
you didn’t Tangaroa.” She paused, thought about it and continued “And even if
you did, we tickle each other all the time so that means nothing.”

Tangaroa finished stowing his boat and came
to join her as she was waiting with the basket. When he came up to her he
looked at her in the face. “Yes you are beautiful Horowai” he then bent down
and rubbed noses with her while she placed a hand on his chest.

“Everyone will be cross if we are that close”
he muttered uncertainly.

“Hatiti my mother won’t” she declared.

“My father Ahuahu will want me to marry a
headman’s daughter.”

Horowai thought a for a second or two and then said creatively, “Well perhaps you will.”

Tangaroa looked at her “What have you heard,
Horowai?”

“You will have to be much closer to me, for
me to tell.”

“I thought you kept no secrets from me.”

“Do you promise not to tell anybody?”

“No, I cannot do that. I do not keep secrets from
Ahu and Ahuahu, well not anybody really.”

“Sometimes it is better not to tell someone
too much if it hurts them.” she replied, “like telling me you fondled the girl
from Big River.”

“I didn’t fondle her, I said I tickled her.
But really I didn’t even do that. It is more fun to touch you because I love it
when you laugh and you wriggle in my arms; you are always so much fun to be
with. I shouldn’t say this but I am so happy when we are together and I feel you next to me. Now tell me what
have you heard?”

Horowai nodded in agreement that she loved
him touching her then looked around her in case someone was listening to them.
“Our head man is not well” she whispered, “They say he will not be head man for
long.”

Tangaroa looked at her puzzled “But why
should I marry the new head man’s daughter.”

Horowai’s eyes twinkled with amusement, “You
spend too much time fishing and not enough time with your ear to the ground or
holding me tight.” She squeezed his hand with hers. “Look we are nearly home,
remember I have said nothing.”

“You might be beautiful Horowai, but you are
very frustrating.”

“Good, that is how you should be with me;
frustrated because you really love me so much.” Tangaroa was about to protest
that he didn’t love her, but in his heart he knew that he did, he loved being
with her. When he touched her she would look directly at him encouraging him
without saying a word. Then they heard Ahu called out to them. “I wondered when
you two would be back. Your father has something to tell us all.”

It was a not until after they had had their
evening meal that Ahuahu said they should all sit down to hear what he had to
say.

“Our head man is not well, he is dying and
the village council have met. He has named his successor and the council have
agreed with his choice. They have appointed me the new head man of Black Sands.
This is a great honour for our family. We are well respected and I thank you
all for making this possible, I am so proud of you. Ahu and Hatiti have been
the ones that have built this family up and loved us unreservedly; we have
achieved much over the years and you all have done us great honour.”

Tangaroa turned to Horowai who sat by his
side and he could see her shy smile on him. He nodded his head and reached out
to hold her hand and smiled back at her in understanding linking and unlinking his fingers
with hers.

Ahu bent her head over and whispered to
Hatiti, “She loves him so much; they still think it is a secret.”

Sunday, September 23, 2012

The
continuing story of Ahu and Ahuahu her husband in a Maori village in Aotearoa
before European settlement of New
Zealand. (Missed an episode? Click on Ahu in
the labels bar for previous posts.)

The Village of Big River had been destroyed
by fire and no survivors had yet been seen. The pakeha seemed determined to
establish a settlement at Big
River where there was
safe anchorage for their ships.

“What do you think really happened, Ahuahu?”

“I think that when we spoke to the chief
there they had already argued with the pakeha and killed some of the newcomers.
We turned up and were welcomed by the chief but the other men were edgy and we
were sent on our way crossing the river further upstream so as not to see the
burnt out encampment which we could smell. When the pakehas main boat returned
after checking the coastline they probably found their camp destroyed their men
dead and took revenge on the village.”

“Why, Ahuahu?”

“It is possible the pakeha wanted women after
a long sea journey and they argued about that. I was told by Hinewai that the
pakeha have a strong drink that makes them lose reason. They may have
threatened the men from Big
River. When we saw no
women in the village working caring for their children I sensed they were in
trouble. They had been hidden away.”

“This is not good, should we tell Rocky
outcrop what has happened?”

“That is a difficult question to answer. It
is one thing to have an agreement with them to help us if Big River
is aggressive toward us but we have no such agreement if the pakeha slowly ease
their way into our land. They are masters in the use of their weapons; this is
bigger than a pact between villages. Our whole way of life may be threatened.
We are on our own.”

“I have not spoken yet to Moana, what did she
say to you?”

“Moana is like a daughter to me. She is wise
but she is also with child, Perhaps she should be allowed to be a mother
without being embroiled in village politics all the time. She will always give
an opinion but when you ask her for it Paikea is humbled. He is keen to learn
but asking her to speak may make him become rash in his actions to impress
you.”

The old chief grunted at this. “You are very
open Ahuahu but worse still you are right. You didn’t let him see the burnt out
village did you? I could tell from his account that you kept them out of danger.
Go home now to your wives. We will speak again tomorrow.”

The next morning Ahuahu and Tangaroa were
down at the beach working on their canoes when they saw some people walking
along the beach toward them. They were survivors from the Big River
village who had hidden in the forest all night and had made their way along the
coast to reach Black Sands.

Ahuahu stopped work and greeted them and told
Tangaroa to take them to the village to eat and rest and advise the chief while
he packed up what he was doing and he would join them later.

There was a man, his wife and a teenage daughter
and another mother with two small children. They all looked very tired and
dirty and they walked slowly with exhaustion. Tangaroa picked up one little
toddler and carried him and they made their way back to the village. As they
walked along, occasionally the teenage girl would look up and glance at
Tangaroa and now and then would brush against him. If Tangaroa noticed he did
not say but merely spoke to the man and told them they could rest at the
village to decide what to do next. Just as they arrived Ahuahu caught up with
them and took the man to the chief’s whare and suggested Tangaroa take the
women and children home to Ahu but the chief seeing them arrive insisted they
enter his home to rest.

The families were given food and drink and
the chief then asked the man whose name was Marama to speak with him and
Ahuahu, whilst the women and the children stayed with the chief’s wives. Ahuahu
told Tangaroa to speak with the teenage daughter whose name was Haeata indicating
he should try to get her to talk too.

After they had introduced themselves the girl
said “If you are god of the sea why did you let the pakeha come to Aotearoa?”
Tangaroa shook his head smiling, “I was told I was named Tangaroa to appease
him not to be him!”

She smiled also and then said “Are you not
frightened that the pakeha will come here to destroy this village too?”

“We are not important here; we do not have a
big river or a safe place for large boats. Our canoes are pulled up into the
dunes each night as you saw us just now. All we have are the hot springs. Would you like me to take you
there?”

She shook her head but at the same time said,
“I would, but my parents do not want me to be out of their sight. Do you not
know that our village was destroyed and many people killed?”

Tangaroa nodded then asked “But why did that
happen and how did you escape?”

Haeata then looked around to see if anyone
else could hear. “The pakeha had camped on the south side of the river and
started trading with us but they were drinking a foul smelling liquid and they
argued with our men and wanted to take some of our women in exchange for the goods
especially the muskets, so a fight started. Luckily most of the women were in
their homes or hiding so we were not involved. The pakeha were soon overpowered
except those that escaped who crossed the river to their camp but our men
followed and killed them too.”

“Even though they had muskets?” asked
Tangaroa.

Haeata nodded, “The pakeha could not walk
straight and were falling over so they could not use the muskets properly. The
pakeha’s big boat returned two days later and found their camp destroyed and
their men dead. My mother was wise enough to anticipate this happening so took
us into the forest even though my father wanted to stay and fight. We saw them
destroy the village so we waited in the forest but no survivors came, so we
came here.”

“Where will you go now?”

“We only know the way of the sea. We must
live by the sea; so we will go further on to find safety.”

Tangaroa looked at her and thought how
attractive she was but he knew the people from Big River
were not to be trusted. He wanted to reach out to touch her but dare not. She
could see him thinking and then said with her eyes lowered, “Tangaroa will you
guide us to the next village?”

Tangaroa shook his head, “Just follow the
track along the coast.” And then he surprised himself by adding, “You do not
need me, I am promised to another.”

Haeata her eyes still lowered and with much emotion
in her voice said, “And so was I, but I am no longer.”

Saturday, September 15, 2012

The
continuing story of Ahu and Ahuahu her husband in a Maori village in Aotearoa
before European settlement of New
Zealand. (Missed an episode? Click on Ahu in
the labels bar for previous posts.)

“What did you think Paikea?” asked Ahuahu
after they had said farewell to the men who had ferried them across the estuary
and were making their way down south towards Agate Hills.

“I did not like the look of them.”

“Don’t you worry about the men that ferried
us across the river, they were too busy to say much and were probably told not say
anything to us in any case. Did you notice anything about the settlement and
the river?”

Ahuahu could see that Moana was itching to
speak but with a glance he told her with his eyes to say nothing.

“They were nervous about our being there. They
have built a pile of stones on the south side of the river overlooking the sea.
It smelled different too but that may be just the wind or the low tide here.”

Ahuahu nodded then asked Moana. “And you
Moana what did you notice.”

Moana grinned back at him, relieved that she
could speak at last.

“We crossed the river at the wrong place; I
could tell it was not the usual crossing point. So they did not want us to see
something.” She went on, “Those stones on the south side are probably meant to
be seen from the sea; they are a marker." She thought a little more and then
said, “There were not enough women and children in the village, they are hiding. They are
expecting more visitors and do not know when they will come, but it may be soon.”

Ahuahu nodded, “I think that the pakeha themselves
put up that pile of stones to mark the safe anchorage there. We were taken upstream
to cross but the water flows too quickly for a crossing there. This was to prevent us from seeing something,
maybe the marker, maybe something else, the men in the boat could say nothing
as they had to paddle so hard in the current to cross at that narrow point. The
women and children are clearly out of sight and will disappear altogether if
and when the pakeha return. Some pakeha may still be here and camped by the
shore that may be the smell.”

“Let’s us hope the people at Agate Hills know
more,” said Paikea.

“I doubt it, but we will see.” said Ahuahu.

They reached the Agate Hills settlement in
mid afternoon and were welcomed by Aperahama, the husband of Aio, Paikea’s
sister. They went through the formalities of the greeting ritual, rubbing noses
and removing their cloaks that they had worn. Aio came out to greet them and the
process was repeated. Aio looked at Moana and turned to Paikea. “You have
chosen well, little brother.” She kept on repeating Atanga as they were escorted in to the whare, with several children running
in from play all clamouring to see the visitors.

Moana in her turn thanked them for their
welcome and presented them with a little carved wooden representation of the
sea god Tangaroa that had been made from the forest trees where her mother
Hauku now lived. After resting for a while Aperahama took Paikea and Ahuahu to
see the agate workings and to see how the craftsmen fashioned the ornaments
from the stone. These were laboriously etched with sand and water. Meanwhile
Aio sat Moana down and they discussed children of which she had four and
clapped her hands when Moana told her she was now pregnant. Aio then called all
her children around her and introduced each one. The smallest one a little girl
who was only about three wanted to sit with Moana which she was allowed to
do.

“What is your name, little one” Moana asked.
The little girl checked with Aio first who nodded at her, and she said
“Hirini”.

Moana smiled at her and said “I love the name
Hirini. I have a dear old friend who has this name that I take to the hot springs at home
because she cannot walk by herself. I am sure I will like you too.”

They stayed two days and although they talked
to several people none knew of the pakeha or what they were doing. Aperahama
said “Our village is like yours, we work, we trade, we live and we love. We
want nothing to change but it is not our decision; change will happen and we
will all be poorer for it.”

After their visit was completed, Ahuahu and
the young couple returned a few days later heading back for Big River.
As they approached the river from the southern side Ahuahu sensed something was
wrong. He sniffed the air. He motioned to the others to keep quiet and
carefully advanced by himself to spy on the river estuary. There in safe
anchorage was a huge pakeha boat with the sails furled. There were little boats
being rowed with oars rather than paddles in the river and smoke was rising
from the remains of the village which had been burnt to the ground. Ahuahu
counted the men and the boats and tried to work out what they were doing. Great
fear possessed him as he thought of his family at Black Sands. He made his way
carefully back to the others and signalled for complete silence and indicated they
were to go back the way they came.

When it was safe to do so, he explained to
both Paikea and Moana what had happened. “We must get back to Black Sands as
soon as we can but we have to follow the river upstream and cross it far away
from this settlement. We must not be seen. The country there is higher and more
difficult to traverse but we will be safer that way.” Moana nodded in agreement
but Paikea was all for checking the pakeha out himself. It was with great
difficulty that Ahuahu told him that would endanger them all. He glanced at
Moana and when she saw him look at her, her eyes fell with shame that Paikea
was still hot headed and not wise.

“Paikea, you can do this, but you must do it
alone and not follow us home. I must get Moana back safely and report to your
father.”

At this Paikea nodded glumly realising the
seriousness of the situation, “I understand, I will come with you.”

“I will tell you all of what I saw so that you
can tell your father first,” Ahuahu said, “But I think that
some pakeha have been killed and their main boat has landed and taken revenge.”

They headed west for an hour and then turned
north and had to wade across the cold river and it was very late by the time
they finally got to Black Sands. He told Paikea and Moana to return home whilst
he saw his family first before he saw the chief and confirmed their discovery
to the headman.

Moana knew that once again their lives would
be overturned. She looked at the greenstone gifts that she had received from
Paikea’s sister and her tears fell on them making them shine in the moonlight.

The next day a few
survivors from Big
River arrived in Black
Sands. They had escaped from their village and had hidden in the forest all
night for safety.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Look what I came
across, it’s an old snap of the Laundry girls, and there is the foreman, five
laundresses and the office girl. It is 1926 and it must be summer in England. For
working girls the bobbed hairstyle was all the rage, even in a city on the
south coast of England.
Well they knew all about the latest styles because fathers and uncles worked
the big liners that sailed into and out of Southampton
all across the world. They would tell their daughters and nieces all about what
they had seen and describe the exotic places they visited how the ladies
dressed in America.
So the tales from far off would germinate a need that would echo the black and
white pictures they saw in the movies with the subtitles imposed and a piano
player providing the music to match the scenes portrayed. The hinge of
fate has yet opened on their lives.

That is Edna on the
left and she has put her best foot forward. Curiously she was quite shy, and
soon she will get engaged and later will give him up because he was too “fast”.
Later she will marry the son of a friend because everyone will say what a hard
worker he is. But that doesn’t make them love each other, and she will feel she
has failed him because she can only bear him daughters and not sons. Edna lives
to be 97.

Next to her is
Patsy, what a pretty round face and smile Patsy had. Sadly she believed
everything her first boyfriend told her and ended up pregnant a year after the
photo was taken. Her mother raised the baby girl and Patsy thought of the
little mite as a younger sister. Patsy died during a raid on the docks in Southampton in 1941 and her baby never ever knew who her
real mother was.

Deirdre the office
girl could type, so she worked in the office. She was the clever one and was
good at dressmaking. Her indulgence was shoes because her mother used to tell
of not having shoes to wear to school and having to wear her brother’s boots.
So Deirdre decided to be different had four pairs of shoes including the black
leather boots she is wearing here today!

This is Bert the
foreman with the two most senior girls linking arms with him. He was a veteran
of the 1st World War but was too old for new war in 1939 forecast to be more
lethal than the first; and it was for many. Bert joined the Home Guard and
guarded the Post Office at night with a broomstick as there were not enough
weapons to go round. He died in 1948 of tuberculosis after spending months in a
sanatorium just south of Winchester.

Brenda is next in
line with the big hair, I think she is a beautiful girl and she is in charge of
all the girls except Deidre. Everyone loved Brenda. She married Frank a
butcher’s boy who delivered meat on his bicycle and eventually had his own
butcher’s shop. They had five children two boys and three girls. Their eldest
boy became a politician and stood for parliament a couple of times but always
got beaten by the sitting member.

Winifred comes next
and she always looks sad. She is the eldest of eight and her father died many
years ago. At home everything is left to Winifred to do, and must go out to
work, get the younger children ready for school and somehow run the home while
her mother takes in sewing. She said that when she married she would never have
children but when one of her younger sisters had a child she changed her mind
and never regretted it. She loved all babies and when she was old and ill her
daughter looked after her.

Now what can I say
about Lucy? Lucy was trouble with a capital T. When waists were not emphasized
she bucked the trend and showed everyone she had one! With her dark come hither
eyes and olive complexion some say she had Italian blood in her. Who knows? She
didn’t stay long at the laundry for people to find out. The story is she headed
straight for London
and hit the stage with a bang. I like to think that when most of the theatres
were closed down during the war she stayed on to entertain Londoners with some
feathers and exotic dancing at the Windmill Theatre!

Sunday, September 9, 2012

The
continuing story of Ahu and Ahuahu her husband in a Maori village in Aotearoa
before European settlement of New
Zealand. (Missed an episode? Click on Ahu in
the labels bar for previous posts.)

One night Ahuahu came home from a meeting of
the village council looking rather depressed. He told Ahu and Hatiti that he had
been asked to accompany Paikea and Moana who were to visit Paikea’s sister at
Agate Hills south of the Big
River estuary. It was
supposed to be a family visit and on the way they would pay their respects to
the headmen of the villages on the way. The Big River
settlement had been very much ignored since the incident some many years ago
when a pakeha expedition had been killed and eaten by the people there. There
had been rumours from some of their fishermen of more great boats at sea with
their enormous sails so their own village chief suggested a courtesy call might
be appropriate on the way through their territory to see any had landed there.

Ahuahu knew that once again this was a test
for Paikea to see if he was sensible enough to use tact and discretion with
their neighbours to find out what was happening with the pakeha. The old chief
felt that Ahuahu would manage but he wanted his son to prove
himself in this way. It was some time since their wedding and as Moana had now
become pregnant for the first time it was good time to visit well before the
baby arrived.

As expected the journey to Big River
was uneventful and when they reached the shore of the tidal river they made
their presence known and asked to taken to the head man. Ahuahu greeted the
chief in the traditional fashion and advised that they were travelling to Agate
Hills much further south and indicated that his chief’s son Paikea and his
Moana his wife were visiting relatives there. The chief nodded glumly but bade
them rest awhile while they spoke of the seasons and of fishing. Immediately
Ahuahu realised there was more to this than social chit chat. He nodded his
head and indicated that perhaps they had come too quickly for Moana and that a
short rest would be appropriate. At this Moana raised her eyebrows in disbelief
that Ahuahu should think that but realising it was ploy to talk a bit agreed
that a rest would be good and kept quiet.

It was not long before the chief got round to
talking to the two men about what really concerned him. It was of course the
pakeha, who had made a number of landfalls near their estuary and had boldly
camped and tried to trade with them.

“Ahuahu, this is not a good sign. Each year
we see more of these pig men visiting us and stealing our crops and even our
women. Has this not happened at Black Sands?”

Ahuahu shook his head. “It is to our
advantage that our waters are treacherous for large boats. You have a safe
harbour and I know they have been here before. Many years ago I visited you and
there were signs even then, but your men at the estuary were not keen to tell us of them.”

The chief nodded. “You probably guessed then
that all those years ago we killed a few but they are very strong with their muskets
and slashing swords. Their boats are so huge they could sail in any weather. I
fear they will always return.”

Ahuahu nodded “The wheels of life keep
turning. We ourselves came many years ago, and now they see that this is a fine
land to settle in too.” He paused and then said quietly, “They are ugly and
smell. The only good things they brought were the pigs they left behind…but we
ate all the ones we found!”

The chief laughed. “Yes they did not last
long. They must have known we needed fattening up. We guessed they would return
when they set them loose.”

Ahuahu laughed in turn but then was serious.
“I think we should get the council of Chiefs to discuss this. It would be
better to have a united front against the pakeha rather fight among ourselves.
They would surely want to dissuade them from occupying this stretch of coast.”

The chief shook his head sadly, “Have you not
heard there are many already trading with the pakeha. He bent his head over and
whispered “It is said they are trading their weapons for supplies.”

Ahuahu had heard but he would not confirm it
as he thought that the men from Big
River would also do so given half the chance if they did not do it already. “Unless their boats
are stranded on our beach we will never see them. A party was sighted on our beach
many years ago but apart from scaring us off with their muskets we have not
seen them again at Black Sands.”

The chief nodded then turned to Paikea. “How
is it you are travelling today and not enjoying your wife at home?” He slapped
Paikea on the arm. Paikea at first lost for words, eventually blurted out,”I
thought she needed a rest.” The chief roared with laughter and nodded his head
to Moana who was sitting with the women and she demurely nodded a reply.

“Your father chose well, Paikea.” Then turning
to Ahuahu said, “I will get my men to take you across the river. You may need
the rest of the day to reach the Greenstone settlement.”He nodded at Paikea to fetch Moana and then
said while he was alone with Ahuahu. “I heard you were the one that dealt with
Rocky Outcrop all those years ago to settle boundaries. Do you think they are
trustworthy?”

“Luckily they do not bother us. But let us discuss
it in a few days when we return, but I fear there will be some that will think
more of the pakeha’s gifts than the blood of our people.”

“Ahuahu, blood will always be spilt.”

After they had rested they were ferried
across the river to continue their journey. Ahuahu glanced at Paikea and
secretly willed him to note all that he saw.

Saturday, September 1, 2012

The
continuing story of Ahu and Ahuahu her husband in a Maori village in Aotearoa
before European settlement of New
Zealand. (Missed an episode? Click on Ahu in
the labels bar for previous posts.)

Despite Ahuahu‘s fear and that of the village
council, there was no threat to their village from other villages who may have
been trading with pakeha and nothing was heard from the Big River settlement.
The wide and deep estuary was clearly known to the pakeha which is why they had
had made landfall there years before. The flat alluvial plains each side of the
river were good for tilling and the information from Hinewai indicated that
this would be a good place for them to establish a settlement.

Over the ensuing year their village had the
occasional visitor from Rocky Outcrop and who was clearly instructed to find
out more about Black Sands and if it could be defended. This pleased Ahuahu
seeing that as a sign that the Rocky Outcrop chief had acknowledged the wisdom
of Hinewai's advice regarding the musket.

Moana and Paikea had settled down in their
married life together but no babies would come. She visited Ahu and Hatiti
occasionally and would talk of many things but never mentioned that babies
would not come. Eventually Hatiti could not resist asking about this.

“Is Paikea’s mother chiding you for not being
with child Moana? My first husband Kaihutu’s mother would talk of nothing else
from the day after our wedding,” she laughed.

Moana cast her eyes down as Hatiti started
combing her hair. “No, she says nothing. If she says anything to Paikea he does
not tell me.”

Ahu, who was still attending to the little
ones, then spoke. “Do not hold in your worries Moana.” She looked around to see
if any of the older children were close by. “Talk to us. It may help.”

“I do not know what to say. “ Moana’s eyes
were full of tears, “We make love…often, but a baby will not come.” The two older women then attempted to soothe her.

“I was born first,” said Ahu, “but a second
baby would not come so my father treated me as though I was boy as he was
so disappointed I was not one. My mother was given a Hei tiki necklet to help
her conceive again. But by then her love for him had died so she did not wear
it. It is the only thing I have left of hers. I have kept it but have never worn it.”
She then smiled at them. “That is because babies come easily to me.”

“You have never shown me it, Ahu” said
Hatiti.

“Neither of us needed it, did we?” laughed
Ahu. “I will fetch it.”

“Do you think it will work, Hatiti?” said
Moana as Hatiti continued to comb her hair.

“Babies
will come when they are wanted but you must imagine them all swimming together in a
conch shell but only one of them is right for you. You must empty the conch shell and
do not leave any behind. When you make love again do not let him rest until he is
fully emptied and cries out, no more.” Hatiti smiled at Moana. ” But still do
not let him go. But hold him tight all night. Then make him take you again when
you wake...” Here Hatiti paused as Ahu returned to them, and continued, “but
wear the tiki at all times too.” She said grinning.

Ahu returned and presented the Hei tiki to
Moana. She looked at it delighted and exclaimed “It looks like a little baby!”
Ahu nodded in agreement but then said to Moana. “Is Paikea happy?”

“Yes, he is happy with me but he feels that as
he is a man now and should be given more responsibility.” She paused here and
bowed her head. “His father talks to me a lot of village matters but does not
seek Paikea’s advice. I speak freely and honestly, but when his father has gone
Paikea will ask ‘Why did he not speak of that with me?’”

“Moana,” said Ahu, “We told you a long time
ago that his father valued your opinion and thought that this would help Paikea
to become wise too. Being the son of a head man does not mean he is automatically
wise.”

“It may be necessary to tell the head man of
this,” said Hatiti.

Ahu shook her head, “I agree that he should
know but to talk directly with the head man about his son, your husband, is not
wise. Paikea will see this as a betrayal.”

“Should she speak to Paikea’s mother?” asked
Hatiti.

“Yes, she will like that,” nodded Ahu “This will not be a
betrayal, but a talk in confidence between women. His mother will tell her
husband the Head man in her own way and she will value your friendship
and confidence when you speak this way to her.”

A few months later Moana told Ahu and Hatiti
she was pregnant. As she had not seen one of Paikea’s married sisters it was
arranged that they would both go to his sister’s village which was known as
Agate Hills far south beyond Big
River well before the
baby was born.

About Me

Retired and glad to be so. Family is the most important thing to have and enjoy.
Now please remember, most of what I tell you is fiction. Much of it is based on personal experiences, recollections and just plain fabrication!
Often in tales about myself I may appear to be the hero, well I am not going to be the villain am I?

Some of my favorite blogs

What else am I doing?

Latest Movies seen

My Cousin Rachel - Despite reading some not too flattering reviews of this film and seeing previous interpretations I thought the story as presented was engaging and characters believable in this new remake of the classical story. Starring Rachel Weisz and Sam Caflin. 8/10